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Will Silicon Valley be your healthcare provider one day? It's very likely
Tofu and shiitake mushroom pad Thai
On evenings when you’re craving classic comfort food, put down the takeaway menu and try our tasty vegetarian pad Thai, instead. In our veggie version, we’ve substituted chicken and prawns for tofu, which provides a source of plant-based protein and essential minerals, including iron, calcium and magnesium. We’ve also included shiitake mushrooms, which lend their rich, savoury taste to the dish, as well as helping to support our immune system and providing vitamin D, which we need for strong bones. Finally, in addition to providing a source of antioxidants, including a regular dose of garlic in your cooking might help to reduce high blood pressure, as well as adding flavour to a dish. Enjoy!
Serves 2
150g rice noodles
20ml light soy sauce
20ml dark soy sauce
60ml tamarind paste
60g palm sugar
2 tbsp groundnut oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
150g tofu, cubed
100g shiitake mushrooms
2 eggs, beaten
100g beansprouts
50g salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Lime wedges, chilli flakes, coriander leaves and extra chopped peanuts to serve
1 In a bowl of cold water, soak the rice noodles for 30 minutes to soften them slightly.
2 Gently heat the soy sauces, tamarind and palm sugar together in a small pan, until the sugar has dissolved and leave to cool slightly.
3 Heat the groundnut oil in a wok or deep frying pan. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and fry for 30 seconds, then add in the drained noodles.
4 Add in the tamarind mixture and stir quickly to combine. Fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.
5 Push the noodles to one side of the pan and, in the space, add in the mushrooms and tofu cubes. Fry for a few minutes to colour.
6 Crack the eggs over the tofu and mushrooms. Stir around quickly so the egg scrambles and then quickly stir the beansprouts and peanuts into the noodles. Serve in bowls garnished with lime wedges, a pinch of chilli flakes, coriander leaves and peanuts.
The post Tofu and shiitake mushroom pad Thai appeared first on Healthy Magazine | Food | Fitness | Beauty | Health.
Try our ultimate outdoor gym circuit
You’ve probably seen a free outdoor gym in one of your nearby parks, but are you making the most of yours? PT Luisa Valenti, founder of the Your Body Programme provides the ultimate outdoor gym circuit, whatever your level.
THE CIRCUIT
First do the warm-up, then perform the set of 8 exercises, doing 12-15 reps of each (ie 12-15 rows, then 12-15 press-ups etc) with minimal rest between each. Rest for 3 minutes after completing the set. Perform 3 sets, then move on to the cardio section. Finish with some stretches to help reduce muscle fatigue, recover more quickly and improve mobility and posture.
WARM-UP
Use the cross trainer gently for 5 minutes
PULL-UP BARS
1 Row – back (mid traps) and biceps
Position yourself beneath the bar. Take an overhand grip (palms facing outwards), just wider than shoulder-width, and walk forward until the bar is in line with your chest. Begin with the arms extended and maintain a straight line from head to toe. Pull up, bending arms until chest touches bar, elbows flared to side.
2 Press-up-chest and triceps
On the lowest pull-up bar, begin in a press-up position with hands on the bar, just wider than shoulder-width, arms extended. Engage your core and keep your body straight. Bend your arms with elbows flared slightly; lower your chest towards bar, then extend your arms. The lower the bar, the more challenging the exercise.
LEG-PRESS MACHINE
3 Leg press – quads and glutes
Place feet shoulder width apart on the leg press and engage your core. Ensure feet are parallel and push through heels to extend legs. Knees should track in a straight line and shouldn’t lock. Lower slowly.
LAT PULL-DOWN MACHINE
4 Lat pull-down lats and biceps
Facing machine, take an underhand grip, with your hands slightly closer than shoulder-width. Retract your shoulders, lean your torso backwards an inch, and pull the bar towards your breastbone. Keep your chest lifted and your core engaged. Return the bar slowly.
SHOULDER PRESS MACHINE
5 Shoulder press – shoulders
Sit upright on machine and take hold of handles. Engage your core, keeping shoulders pressed down as far as possible, and extend arms above you. Lower with control.
BENCH
6 Leg raise – core
Lie on a flat bench with your legs raised to the sky. Hold onto the bench beside your head and engage your core as you lower your legs with your knees bent. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the exercise. Take your legs slightly below the level of the bench. Raise your legs as you exhale.
7 Lunge with back leg raised onto the bench – lower body and core
Stand in a lunge position and rest your back foot on the bench behind you, with knee flexed slightly. Begin by bending the standing leg and lower your body until back knee is just off the ground. Keep pelvis tucked under and torso upright. Maintain ankle and knee alignment. Extend your supporting leg. Repeat with the other leg.
NO EQUIPMENT
8 Squat jumps
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Squat and push through the feet into a high jump, land back into a squat position and continue the movement. Maintain alignment of knees and ankles. Do not allow your knees to buckle inwards.
CARDIO SECTION
After 3 sets of your circuit: Use a spin bike and sprint for 20 seconds at 100 per cent effort, at 70-90 per cent of your max heart rate. Recover for 40 seconds, lowering intensity. Repeat 10 times
The post Try our ultimate outdoor gym circuit appeared first on Healthy Magazine | Food | Fitness | Beauty | Health.
What does zinc do?
What is zinc?
Found in our organs, tissues, bones, fluids and cells, zinc is one of the most important essential trace metals in human nutrition. It helps the body make new cells, process food and heal wounds, plus it boosts our resistance to infection. Food wise, it’s found mainly in shellfish and meat as well as in legumes, nuts and seeds. Some vegetarian and vegan foods, such as breakfast cereals, are fortified with it. Strict vegetarians, women who are breast-feeding and those with digestive problems like Crohn’s disease can be deficient.
How can I tell if I’m lacking?
Because zinc plays a role in so many functions, a lack can show up in various ways. Common signs include a diminished sense of smell and taste, a metallic taste in your mouth, poor wound healing, hair loss, rough skin, lethargy, and deformed nails. If you have any of these symptoms, see your GP to discuss your zinc intake.
Any research into the benefits of zinc?
COLD BUSTER
When Finnish researchers analysed three randomised controlled trials they found that sucking zinc acetate lozenges could speed up recovery from the common cold threefold. On the fifth day of coughing and spluttering, 70% of those who had taken zinc had recovered compared with 27% of those who took a placebo. Meanwhile, other research, also from Finland, found that high-dose zinc lozenges shortened the duration of nasal discharge by 34%, nasal congestion by 37%, scratchy throat by 33%, and cough by 46%.
EYE HEALTH
When US researchers gave people a supplement that combined antioxidants such as vitamin C and betacarotene along with zinc and copper, it slowed progression of the ‘wet’ form of the eye disease called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Current drugs are expensive and can increase inflammation of the inside of the eye, but this daily supplement lowered the risk common type, accounting for around nine out of 10 cases, an estimated one in 10 people with dry AMD go on to develop wet AMD.
DNA REPAIR
A US study found that just 4mg of extra zinc a day can make a major difference to the health of our cells, which in turn boosts the body’s ability to fight infection and disease. Zinc reduces ‘oxidative stress and damage to DNA’, which protects us against the onset of chronic cardiovascular diseases and some cancers. Without enough zinc, our bodies can’t repair wear and tear on our DNA, but scientists found that a mere 4mg was plenty. To put that in context, an egg contains around 1mg of zinc.
IMMUNITY BOOSTER
Recent American research shows zinc helps to control infection by preventing inflammation. A particular protein (NF-B) attracts zinc into key cells that respond quickly against infection. The zinc then helps fight the infection and also assists in balancing the immune response. If there isn’t enough zinc when you get an infection, it can lead to excessive inflammation, which may be why taking zinc tablets at the start of a cold can help to see it off more quickly.
How much do I need?
The recommended daily intake of zinc is 7mg for women and 9.5mg for men, which should be easy to get through a balanced diet. But because zinc isn’t found in large amounts in plant foods, vegans can lack it. The best plant-based sources are legumes, nuts, seeds, and oats as well as fortified cereals. Taking too much zinc can reduce the amount of copper the body can absorb, which can lead to anaemia and weakening of the bones, so don’t take more than 25mg of zinc supplements a day unless your doctor prescribes it.
The post What does zinc do? appeared first on Healthy Magazine | Food | Fitness | Beauty | Health.
Identify your emotional comfort blanket
Feeling vulnerable, upset, powerless or distressed can be bewildering, so experts agree arming yourself with the tools to manage those emotions is key. ‘If you don’t know how to soothe yourself when you’re provoked, you’ll be prone to getting depressed, become angry and resentful, or withdraw from the situation entirely,’ explains Leon F Seltzer, US-based psychologist and blogger for Psychology Today. ‘None of these reactions will empower you or enable you to accept or take control over whatever circumstance led you to react negatively.’ It’s all about feeling confident we can quiet our minds and find a way out of the emotional distress, rather than falling deeper into it, or running away.
Chloe Brotheridge, hypnotherapist and author of Brave New Girl: 7 Steps to Confidence (Michael Joseph, £12.99), agrees. ‘We live in a fast-paced world, disconnected from ourselves and nature – we need to counteract the mess that is modern life. It’s essential to have a toolkit that helps when you’re experiencing stress, and that prevents you from reaching that point.’ So how can you override stress, and stop a negative mindset eating away at you?
Break the stress cycle
According to Seltzer, you need to hone your self-soothing skills so they’re second nature. ‘It’s crucial to learn which things work most effectively for you in advance. What you do could range from self-hypnosis to visualisation to exercise, or just some deep breathing, but you need something “in reserve” to help you cope with anything that, in the moment, undermines your emotional equilibrium.’
Another problem we need to overcome is self-blame. We get angry or frustrated because we deride ourselves for whatever’s going wrong. Seltzer argues we need to master the art of forgiving ourselves. ‘It’s about getting to the point of unconditional self-acceptance, regardless of mistakes you’ve made in the past,’ he explains. ‘That’s not complacency, but recognition your mishaps represent, say, naiveté or impulsivity, rather than something inherently defective. It’s about self-compassion.’
Embrace a positive outlook
Scientific research has shown that positive self-talk can help in times of stress. A 2017 study revealed a surprising form that can quickly control emotional responses; addressing yourself in the third person. Say you’re called Claire and you’re stressed about your job. You might say to yourself, ‘Why is Claire worked up?’ It sounds mad, but it’s less emotionally reactive than addressing yourself in the first person: ‘Why am I so stressed?’ It gives you a bit of psychological distance, which helps you feel more in control of your emotions. In research, scans showed emotional brain activity decreased within seconds.
Visualisation is another way to escape your befuddled mind. ‘Often, we imagine what could go wrong,’ says Brotheridge. ‘Instead, imagine what could go right. Play a movie in your mind of how you’d like an event to go, such as a presentation. Imagine how you’d like to feel, look, act and speak. It creates a new blueprint for how things can be and means you will go into that situation feeling calmer.’
Trust yourself
For many of us, our first port of call in testing moments is to reach out for support from loved ones, but that’s not necessarily the best course of action.
‘Anything you can work out independently is going to be more empowering than depending on someone else,’ explains Seltzer. ‘You need to see yourself – not others as your “saviour”. Although there is one saviour research agrees you can reach for – a pet. Studies repeatedly show stroking an animal decreases blood pressure.’
Self-hypnosis – another tried and tested tool sounds daunting, but, says Brotheridge, can be simple. ‘Do a body scan,’ she advises. ‘Start at your feet and imagine the muscles relaxing. Move through your legs, torso, arms and neck, head and face. Imagine each body part relaxing in turn. It calms mind and body.’
Change your environment
Another strategy is gaining perspective. ‘Getting into nature helps us reassess upset feelings in a broader context,’ says Seltzer. ‘That allows us to reflect and realise what’s happened isn’t catastrophic.’ Really immersing yourself adds to the stress-relieving power. A 2017 study found sounds of nature – such as a babbling brook – can physically change the systems that control the fight-or-flight response, helping us to relax. If exercise is a stress-reliever for you, run, walk, jog, cycle, stretch or swim in the great outdoors.
Sound in general can affect frayed nerves. Studies show high noise levels can trigger depression. If you are feeling tense and the sound of, say, loud train announcements is jarring, noise-cancelling headphones could help. Or perhaps it’s silence that drives you nuts: here, a white noise app may release your inner Zen, a playlist may help you escape, or a podcast or radio station could help you feel happier.
Practise self-care
If your anxiety is rendering you paralysed, putting pen to paper is another tool. In one US study, anxious students who wrote about a stressful task completed it more efficiently – thought to be because worrying takes up cognitive resources. And let’s not forget the power of a good cry. Research shows it has a self-soothing element – it activates the parasympathetic nervous system (which promotes the ‘rest and digest’ response that calms the body); increases oxytocin, the ‘love’ hormone; and ups natural opioids, which soothe pain.
Finally, there are the classic comforts we all know: baths, a massage, buying ourselves flowers. ‘These acts should be part of your general lifestyle, as they can help you feel calmer overall, and less likely to react poorly when things go wrong,’ says Seltzer. So the next time that happens, reach for the things you know benefit you.
The post Identify your emotional comfort blanket appeared first on Healthy Magazine | Food | Fitness | Beauty | Health.
Maximise the wellbeing benefits of getting outdoors
For many of us who’ve spent more time cooped up in our homes than ever over the past few months, heading out to our local park and spending some time in nature has offered a much-needed wellbeing boost. And research repeatedly demonstrates that people who spend more time in green spaces are happier. This might be because, as slow-living advocate and author of In Praise of Slow, Carl Honoré points out, ‘Nature is immune to impatience, always doing things at its own pace.’
Tuning in to the natural world is also one of the easiest ways to become mindful. ‘Nature is very grounding. When we are flying around in our heads, it literally brings us back down to earth,’ explains mindfulness-based cognitive therapist Mita Mistry. If we try to pinpoint when we’re most relaxed, it’s probably on a beach, listening to waves lapping on the shore, or laying on the grass watching the clouds float by. A 2019 study found that woodland sounds like birdsong and rustling leaves are more relaxing than mediation recordings.
And if the closure of gyms led you to take up to cycling or running during lockdown, it might interest you to know that the health benefits of getting outdoors include your physical fitness. A scientific review of studies published in the journal Extreme Physiology & Medicine in 2013 concluded that when we exercise in natural environments, we don’t feel as though we’re pushing ourselves as much, so we work out harder than we would do in a gym, our blood pressure returns to normal much faster, levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline drop right back to normal levels, our immune systems improve and it gives us a good mood boost, among many other benefits.
Find your friluftsliv
It is perhaps a fundamental appreciation for the health benefits of the great outdoors in Scandinavian countries that makes them some of the happiest places to live on the planet. The Norwegian word friluftsliv means ‘free air life’, but it is much more than simply spending time outdoors. The phrase first appeared in 1859 in a poem by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, On The Heights, which described a feeling of craving to be outside in nature. ‘Friluftsliv is about feeling the joy of being out in nature, alone or with others, experiencing pleasure and harmony with the surroundings,’ says friluftsliv expert Børge Dahle in Nature First: Outdoor Life And The Friluftsliv Way (Natural Heritage, £15.99).
Long walks at the weekends – or Søndagstur, which specifically refers to a Sunday trip to the mountains, forest or islands for a hike – are one of the key ways Norwegians enjoy friluftsliv. But Honoré, who himself lives in London, argues that wherever you live, you can connect with the natural world. ‘Not everyone has access to vast forests or sweeping valleys, but all of us can tap into nature in some way. Strolling in a park and looking at the tress, can slow and calm us.’ Mistry suggests walking barefoot on the grass, if you can. ‘It’s calming, as there are acupuncture points on the soles of our feet.’
Take a tech break
How else can you get your friluftsliv on? Obviously getting outside is key, but it’s important to immerse yourself in the experience, so don’t be tempted to take ‘nature selfies’. ‘Tourists often consume places without becoming emotionally connected with them, as their purpose is simply to have seen it,’ says Hans Gelter, a friluftsliv guide and professor at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden. If you’re only visiting a certain beauty spot because you know it gets loads of likes on Instagram, then you’re missing the point.
Try to keep your experiences outdoors as minimal as possible, too. Dahle says, ‘The essence of friluftsliv is the simplicity with which people can engage in nature in a meaningful way, without the trappings of expensive gadgets or equipment.’ In other words, the less gear you have, the more you’ll enjoy it. Leaving the Bluetooth earpiece at home and listening to your surroundings can have a profound effect. ‘Reconnecting with nature sharpens your senses and clears mental clutter,’ says Mistry. ‘It’s possible wherever you live – even in urban areas, the sky, clouds and sun are available to all.’
The post Maximise the wellbeing benefits of getting outdoors appeared first on Healthy Magazine | Food | Fitness | Beauty | Health.
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